1. Field of the Invention
The present application is in the technical area of virtual worlds, and pertains more particularly to physics simulation for dynamic objects.
2. Description of Related Art
In video games based on defined virtual worlds it is well known to define objects that may move in a display, and to simulate interaction of those objects with other elements in the display, both moving and not moving. For example, a very early game displayed a ball, like a ping-pong ball, moving on the display screen, and the ball would be seen to rebound at the edges of the display screen. This is a very simple example of physics simulation, the object being to display the movements of the ball and the reactions of the ball with perceived walls (the edges of the screen), to make the display of the ball movement as real as practical. In this early example the ball, however, moved in straight lines, and there was no simulation of effects of gravity, which would have caused the ball to have curved trajectories.
In the evolution of video games the processes of physics simulation have become, as of the time of the present patent application, quite sophisticated. Video games no include characters often termed avatars, which a player may cause to move in the game display and interact with numerous other objects and elements, and also rather complicated vehicles (aircraft, ground machines) that may be operated, and which may interact with avatars, landscape elements, and other dynamic elements in a game.
Physics simulation in management of a video game or other renditions of virtual worlds takes into account preprogrammed and determined facts about elements in a game, such as size, surfaces, mass, velocity at a point in time, and other information, and uses algorithms largely based on Newton's Laws of Motion to determine the reaction of the elements considered in interactions with other elements. The reactions are applied to display of further movement of the elements and other effects, like an element breaking of coming apart.
It is well-known that there is a close relationship between appearance of reality in display of a virtual world with dynamic effects and the variety and degrees of freedom of elements in the world. As the world becomes more and more complicated, maintaining a semblance of reality takes more and more computer power and memory.
Given the above relationships it is clear that any way that more complexity may be achieved with displays that appear real, without commensurate increases in computer power and memory is to be highly desired. Improvements in embodiments of the present invention provide such benefits at minimal cost.